We are familiar with Pride Month and we have enjoyed the celebration throughout the month of June. But, did you know that July is Disability Pride Month? Since 1990 this month has been one in which disabled persons are encouraged to have pride in themselves and who they are.
From the American Bar Association [LINK] we read the following: “Disability Pride Month celebrates disabled persons embracing their disabilities as integral parts of who they are, reclaiming visibility in public and interacting fully with their disabilities out in the open, and rejecting shame and internalized ableism. It is a time for the disability community to come together, uplift, and amplify one another’s voices and be heard. Disability pride has been described as ‘accepting and honoring each person’s uniqueness and seeing it as a natural and beautiful part of human diversity.’”
Of course individuals with disabilities must be honored as unique persons and a beautiful part of human diversity. AMS Fulfillment has worked with community organizations to hire individuals with disabilities for many years and we plan to continue, as we know how beneficial it is to us, to welcome a diverse workforce.
A Diverse Workforce
Samantha Hicks, AMS’ ESG Program Manager, works with Desert Haven and Pleasantview Industries, which are organizations that help individuals with disabilities in their efforts to train and get hired for jobs that they want to do.
Regarding hiring individuals with disabilities, Samantha said, “Every day, Americans with disabilities bring their skills and talents to our nation’s workplaces. Yet, people with disabilities, including veterans with service-connected disabilities, have lower rates of employment than the general population. Fortunately, recruiting and hiring qualified people with disabilities doesn’t have to be challenging, thanks to the many organizations such as AMS.
“At AMS, we are committed to fostering a workplace culture that upholds the principles of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. We believe that creating an environment where all employees feel valued, respected, and empowered is not only essential for our business success but also integral to building a more just and equitable society.
“People with disabilities have been solving problems their whole lives and tend to contribute to higher productivity, lower absenteeism, and increased customer loyalty. Employees with disabilities can also offer creativity, innovation, and varied perspectives on how to confront challenges and get a job done. For example, research shows that many adults with autism possess higher-than-average abilities in pattern recognition, memory, and mathematics.
“Additionally, hiring people with disabilities encourages empathy in the workplace (a trait that is important to have when working with customers and clients) and can improve the perception of the company from our stakeholder’s point of view. Inclusion can also have a big impact on how employees feel about our workplace.
“We’ve made some long-time memories with our AMS Family, and we thank them for being ‘just as they are’.”
History of the Celebration
Once again from the Bar Association we read, “Disability Pride initially started as a day of celebration in 1990—the year that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law. That same year, Boston held the first Disability Pride Day. The first official celebration of Disability Pride Month occurred in July 2015, which also marked the 25th anniversary of the ADA. Since then, cities across the country have celebrated disability pride month with parades and other festivities.”
There is a story behind the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act that some might remember. Here is the overview from Wikipedia [LINK].
“On March 12, 1990, over 1,000 people marched from the White House to the U.S. Capitol to demand that Congress pass the Americans with Disabilities Act. Upon arrival, about 60 activists, including eight-year-old Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins, physically demonstrated the inaccessibility of public spaces by getting out of their wheelchairs or setting aside their mobility aids and crawling up the Capitol steps in an act of civil disobedience that later became known as the Capitol Crawl. Police then arrested 104 activists for unlawful demonstration, many of whom were in their wheelchairs.”
Wow – that was a demonstration that spoke volumes! People with disabilities come from all socio-economic backgrounds, all ages, races, ethnicities, genders and religions. All are now protected by the ADA, and we are grateful to the more than 1000 activists who created the demonstration in 1990 that changed the world for all of us.
Disability Pride
“Disability Pride” seeks to remove the stigma of disability, allowing us to see that disabilities are a natural part of human diversity. It also offers the opportunity to see, understand and appreciate the challenges that individuals with disabilities face daily, and step forward to make sure they are treated equally. At AMS we want our employees who are living with disabilities to celebrate and take pride in themselves and their incredible achievements.
More on the subject from Wikipedia: “Disability Pride is a movement intended to celebrate the history of the Disability Rights movement and people with disabilities as positive contributors to society. It marks a break from traditional concepts of disabilities as shameful conditions, which were often hidden from public spaces and mainstream awareness. Disability Pride is built upon the social model of disability and is described as moving away from the medical model of disability.”
With that said, we wish AMS employees, clients and friends a Happy Disability Pride Month! As Samantha said, take pride and Be Just as You Are!
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AMS Fulfillment is a Certified B Corporation, dedicated to People and Planet before Profit. We work to B the Change we wish to see in the world.
